We strive to create a small college atmosphere while utilizing all of the resources a major research institution like UT offers.  TIP scholars are academically motivated students who are paired with an academic peer mentor.  This mentor guides his or her mentor group of 5 or 6 students through the transition from high school to college academic and personal life.  Commonly the mentor will show mentees resources on campus such as libraries and student services as well as meet with the mentor group weekly to ensure each student is succeeding here at UT.

Before they can register for certain lower-division courses, most students are required to take tests so that the results can be used for placing them at appropriate instructional levels. Academic departments use tests for placement in six areas: rhetoric and composition, entry-level mathematics, freshman technical chemistry, computer sciences, foreign languages and mechanical engineering. Students who perform well enough on these tests can receive credit by examination for courses in those areas.
Students who score high enough on College Board Advanced Placement Examinations in calculus, chemistry, language and composition, foreign languages or the International Baccalaureate Higher-Level Examinations in chemistry, mathematics and foreign languages may be exempt from taking tests that otherwise would be required of them.
The DIIA, Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment, formerly the Measurement and Evaluation Center, coordinates University testing programs, including examinations for course credit and placement, and serves as a test center for many exams offered on a worldwide basis. Information about academic placement and credit by examination is available on the Web, at the center location at 2616 Wichita St., or by mail at P.O. Box 7246, Austin, Texas 78713-7246; 512-232-2662, fax 512-471-3509.

Textbooks may be purchased at the University Co-op. Students may pick up books prior to the start of classes or may wait to purchase them after the first day of classes. Books can also be pre-ordered for convenience.  If the student changes classes, he or she can return the books to the Co-op.

UT Austin includes 12 undergraduate schools and colleges and the requirements for a degree vary with the school or college in which students enroll. Graduation requirements are available in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Choosing a major is an important decision and not one that a student should take lightly. Do not be alarmed if your student takes a semester or two to select a major or if he or she changes majors, as most students do. No matter how much you want your student to be prosperous and secure, selecting a major is his or her decision. Keep in mind that your student is an individual with his or her own interests and talents, and will not be happy in a field selected for him or her by someone else. There is no deadline for selecting a major, but the sooner the student decides, the sooner he or she will graduate. There are resources on campus to help students better understand their interests, set career goals and choose an appropriate major. UT offers many resources to aid students in choosing a path.  The Career Exploration Center offers testing and counseling to find a degree that uses the student’s natural talents and yet excites the student as well.  Also there are more specialized resources on campus such as the Natural Sciences Career Center which houses the Health Professions Office, and the Liberal Arts Career Services.

The time necessary to complete a degree will depend on the degree the student chooses, the number of hours the student takes each semester, the student’s performance, and additional obligations the student assumes, such as outside work. Some students complete their degrees in four years, but many need at least an additional semester or year to finish, depending on individual circumstances.

While many first year courses are large lecture sections, one of the benefits of being in TIP Scholars is that many courses are smaller sections restricted to only TIP Scholars.  For example first semester chemistry is typically a lecture of 500+ students, but through TIP Scholars we have a lecture of only 200 and a maximum of 23 students per discussion section.  It is a myth that all classes at UT are big lectures.  For instance, Rhetoric classes are limited to 20 students.

Attendance is strongly recommended and is tied to grading in some classes. Students cannot expect to do well without going to class. The freshman year brings many new responsibilities to students, and disciplining themselves to go to class is one of their biggest challenges. Attendance in class is one of the ways in which a student demonstrates his or her maturity and willingness to assume responsibility.  Students who attend class do better academically.

We use these terms interchangeably at the university. Each course earns a certain number of credits toward graduation. The number of credits earned is based on how many hours the class meets each week. Most courses carry three credits or semester hours. To graduate in eight semesters (four regular academic years), students would need to take a load of 15-17 semester hours. While the minimum number of credits required for a degree is 120, many degree programs require more. In addition, students may sometimes need to take additional courses to prepare for certain subject matters, such as mathematics. Finally, it is important to remember that each individual degree program requires specific courses, rather than the mere accumulation of hours.

Every course has a three-digit number. The first digit indicates the number of credit hours the course is.  The second digit indicates whether a course is lower-division (1 or 2), upper-division (3-7), or graduate (8 or 9).  And the third is assigned by each academic department.

College courses require considerably more study time than was needed for high school courses. Successful students study at least three hours for every hour spent in class. A minimum full-time load is 12 credit hours; students who enroll in 12 hours should spend a minimum of 36 hours per week studying. 12 class hours per week + 36 study hours per week = 48 hours. College is a full-time job!

The average number of hours the typical freshman takes is 12 to 16 during his or her first semester. The maximum number of hours a student may take in a fall or spring semester is 17. For the summer term, the maximum is nine hours. The number of hours a student should take depends on individual circumstances—high school preparation, whether he or she works, activities in which he or she is involved, and other obligations on campus. There is no minimum number of credit hours that a student must take, but to be classified as a full-time student, he or she must be enrolled in at least 12 hours. Sometimes students need to be enrolled on a full-time basis for financial aid eligibility or insurance coverage; therefore, the student is urged to consider his or her particular circumstances.

Teaching assistants fill a variety of roles related to undergraduate education. They are graders, laboratory assistants, discussion leaders, and sometimes instructors of the courses. Regardless of their classification, they are required to attend training sessions as part of their responsibilities. Faculty in their specific disciplines supervise all teaching assistants. Teaching assistants are evaluated by students at the end of each semester as are regular faculty. In addition, as graduate students working on master’s or doctoral degrees, teaching assistants are on the cutting edge of the discipline. Students will find that teaching assistants are like other teachers in that they are serious about their areas and focused on doing a thorough job in their teaching assignments.

It’s possible, particularly in such areas as science, mathematics and engineering. As is true with all teaching assistants, they are required to go through training prior to assuming their teaching responsibilities. They are also screened for both oral and written communication skills. In addition, senior faculty from their departments visit all international teaching assistants and observe the teaching assistant’s ability to communicate effectively. One of the advantages of having international teaching assistants is the opportunity to interact with people from other countries and cultures, which is a feature of a major national research university.

YES!  TIP Scholars have constant access to two full-time academic advisors—one in Natural Sciences and one in Liberal Arts.  These advisors meet with each student individually at least twice every semester to advise and check in.  Students are encouraged to schedule advising appointments whenever they have questions or just to drop in and say hi.

College courses are challenging by design. Many new ideas are presented. If your son or daughter is having trouble in a class, there are many resources available to TIP scholars.  First, the student’s mentor is often a fantastic resource.  Since the mentor has likely taken that course before he or she may have some words of wisdom.  Also, the other students in the mentor group are often in the same class so it creates easy study groups.  One of the great benefits of TIP Scholars is the TIP Learning Lab.  The Learning Lab is open Sunday through Thursday evenings to only TIP scholars and it provides tutors in most of the first year courses.  All of the tutors have taken the course at UT and have received a grade of “B” or better.

Another underutilized resource is the instructor.  The student should see the professor before or after class or make an appointment to discuss the problem. Freshmen are often hesitant to do so because they don’t know the instructor or feel that the instructor doesn’t know them. Sometimes they are afraid the instructor will think they are insincere, or they are embarrassed because they don’t understand the course material. However, most instructors are pleased to talk with students and will welcome the opportunity to help them do well in their classes. All professors maintain regular office hours, and it is the student’s responsibility to take the initiative and let them know what kind of help is needed.

Additional academic support services are available.  The UT Learning Center (UTLC) offers free group tutoring or private tutoring for a fee.  The UTLC also offers free seminars and brochures on college survival skills such as time management and career decision-making.  UT also has a undergraduate Writing Center designed to help undergraduates with all phases and types of writing assignments.

The TIP academic advisors are also a great resource for struggling students.  Many times the student has underlying reasons for not succeeding and not thriving in the course is only the symptom.  TIP Scholars academic advisors can help a student get on the right track or point them to another professional who can help.

Make sure that you understand the problems they are having and what they have been doing to correct them. The many services the university provides for students are useful only if students seek help in a timely manner. Encourage them to contact their professors, advisers in TIP Scholars, and their mentor for help with study habits, test-taking skills and time-management skills. Encourage them to seek help as soon as possible. You may also contact the TIP office at 512-232-6269 for more information.

At some point, your son or daughter may find it necessary to add or drop a course. This may be due to a change in his or her work or activity schedule or the recognition that a different class would be more beneficial. Students should pay close attention to the dates and conditions for adding or dropping as specified in the class schedule. Questions related to dropping classes should be directed to TIP Scholars academic advisors. There is no charge to add or drop classes. If a student withdraws from a class after the 12th class day of the semester, he or she will receive a Q-drop which means that no grade is recorded for or against the student’s GPA, but too many Q-drops on a transcript can look suspicious.

A student’s grade point average (GPA) is calculated on all A, B, C, D and F grades received. For each course completed, a student earns grade points equal to the value of the letter grade (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=O) multiplied by the number of credit hours. The total number of credits will be divided by the number of credit hours. Thus, Spanish 506 has five times the influence on the student’s GPA as PED 112. As an example, if your son or daughter earns a 3.00 GPA in the first semester, he or she has a B average.

Yes. Any student who has received a D or an F in a university-level course at UT may repeat the course for credit. Repeating a course DOES NOT exclude the original grade from the calculation of the student’s GPA for purposes of graduation and retention. Both the original and the second grade will remain on the permanent academic record and will be reflected in the combined cumulative grade point average on the official transcript.  Student need to check with their college for specific guidelines.

For continued enrollment in good standing, a student must maintain a combined retention grade point average of 2.0. A student not maintaining a 2.0 GPA will be placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, the student must contact their college for specific guidelines.

Many academic departments have scholarships available to students with superior grades following their freshman year. Students are encouraged to contact their major departments for scholarship information related to specific academic majors. The Financial Aid Services office also has information on many scholarships.

The University of Texas at Austin offers many different types of academic honors.  There are University Honors, Dean’s List, and Department or College Honors.  For more information see the Registrar’s Honors web page.

Students with disabilities are eligible to register with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in the Office of the Dean of Students. Students seeking accommodations must submit documentation of their disability. Documentation guidelines are available online. The first step is to schedule an intake appointment by telephoning 512 471-6259 or VP 866-327-8877 then 232-2937. Documentation should be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of this meeting and can be faxed to 512-475-7730 or mailed to the following address: SSD; The University of Texas at Austin Office of the Dean of Students; 1 University Station, A5800; Austin, Texas, 78712-0175.
All documentation is kept confidential and considered pending until completion of the intake interview. The intake interview involves the student meeting with an appropriate disability specialist who will review the student's documentation, history of accommodations and determine whether additional information is required. After the intake interview, all appropriate documentation has been received and completion of the Acceptance of Services form, students are eligible for accommodations.

Documentation sent to the Office of Admissions is not automatically forwarded to SSD. A separate copy of the documentation must be sent to SSD.

The student must give correct local and permanent addresses and telephone numbers to the Office of the Registrar and to the Dean of Student’s Office and must notify these offices immediately of any changes in address or telephone number. Address changes can also be updated by accessing UT Direct. Official correspondence is sent to the address last given to the registrar; if the student has moved and failed to correct this address, he or she will not be relieved of responsibility on the grounds that the correspondence was not delivered.

An educational record contains certain information, known as directory information, which can be released without the student's permission. That information includes: the student's name; local and permanent addresses; telephone listing; e-mail address; public user name; date and place of birth; major field of study; dates of attendance; classification; expected date of graduation; degrees, awards and honors received; most recent previous educational institution attended; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of a member of an athletic team; names and addresses of former students who are credited with funds remaining in their general property deposit; and student parking information.
Everything else in a student's educational record, with a few exceptions, is considered confidential and cannot be released without the expressed, written permission of the student. Students may direct the Office of the Registrar to restrict their directory information, in which case all information in the student's educational record is rendered confidential.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment) prohibits the release of this information to anyone but the student. The goal of this federal law is to protect the student’s rights. Student records, whether academic or otherwise, are considered private documents.

Student Accounts Receivable is located in the Main Building and may be reached by telephoning 512-475-7777.

There are a variety of computer facilities on the UT campus available for student use. For residents of UT residence halls, the Division of Housing and Food Service provides monitored computer labs in Carothers, Moore-Hill, Jester East, Jester West, Kinsolving, San Jacinto and Simkins Residence Halls. Software is provided in each lab and laser printing services are available. All residence halls have Internet connections in each room. Students must provide their own equipment and subscribe to ResNet (the Residential Dorm Network) to use the connection.
All students can use computers in the Student Microcomputer Facility (SMF). The SMF, located in the Flawn Academic Center (FAC), is the largest computer lab on campus. It features both Apple and Dell computers, scanners, laser printers, color printers and many software applications. All lab computers have access to e-mail and Internet resources. Laptop computers are also available for check-out at the Information Desk.
Many departments provide computer labs for their students. Some of these labs are also available to the general UT population during certain hours.
Free, hands-on classes are also available for students wishing to receive training in the use of lab software.

Yes, there are several options on and near campus for computer needs.  The Campus Computer Store offers software and computers at a discount as well as other electronics and support services.  The University Co-op also offers low academic prices on software.  And of course there’s always ordering directly from a manufacture’s website and have it delivered to the student’s door.

Anyone officially affiliated with the University may obtain a free e-mail address on the University Mailbox Service (UMBS) server, mail.utexas.edu. If you need assistance, telephone the Information Technology Services Help Desk at 512-475-9400. Webmail allows you to check your e-mail on the go with any standard Web browser.